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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. file — a document
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bore — to tire
  6. court — of law
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. file — a tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. file — a line of people
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. current — electric
  15. bore — to drill
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com